{"id":1223,"date":"2021-03-26T11:47:46","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T11:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/religious-studies\/?page_id=1223"},"modified":"2021-05-12T11:10:04","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T11:10:04","slug":"digital-earth-workshops","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/religious-studies\/?page_id=1223","title":{"rendered":"Digital Earth Workshops"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online, July 2021\u00a0|\u00a0In partnership with IF: Milton Keynes International Festival\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

Teaching and Research Series in Worldviews and Global Challenges\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span><\/b>he Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(FASS)\u00a0<\/span><\/b>at The Open University<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>British artist Luke Jerram has created Gaia<\/em> – the Earth. This large-scale inflatable sculpture measures seven metres in diameter, and features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

Gaia<\/em> will be presented in Milton Keynes City Centre this July by Milton Keynes International Festival.<\/p>\n

The Open University is presenting a series of digital workshops and an Earth Symposium to accompany the artwork.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gaia<\/em> brings focus to global environmental challenges and provides the opportunity to see our planet on a large-scale, floating in three-dimensions and features music and voices including Sir David Attenborough\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Read more here: <\/strong>https:\/\/my-earth.org\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Watch Gaia here: <\/strong>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sjvw-8VwAbw<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

If you are a Humanities teacher, please book a place for a\u00a0KS4 or KS5\u00a0student or student group to attend\u00a0one, two or all\u00a0three\u00a0Digital Earth Workshops\u00a0hosted\u00a0online<\/u>\u00a0by the Open University.\u00a0 <\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The Digital Earth Workshops provide an opportunity for secondary school students in Milton Keynes to\u00a0<\/span><\/b>be part of\u00a0<\/span><\/b>exciting online activities and produce digital material, some of which\u00a0<\/span><\/b>will<\/span><\/b>\u00a0be digitally<\/span><\/b>\u00a0showcased around the\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Gaia<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0installation.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Students will\u00a0<\/span><\/b>actively\u00a0<\/span><\/b>work online with Open University academics, artists and performers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0who will\u00a0<\/span><\/b>engag<\/span><\/b>e<\/span><\/b>\u00a0them in journeys of learning and reflection about our Earth<\/span><\/b>\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/b>hi<\/span><\/b>story<\/span><\/b>,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>different<\/span><\/b>\u00a0worldviews<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and understandings of our planet and global ecological\u00a0<\/span><\/b>challenges<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

THE\u00a0<\/b>OPEN UNIVERSITY\u00a0<\/b>WORKSHOPS<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tuesday<\/span><\/b>\u00a01<\/span><\/b>3<\/span><\/b>\u00a0to Thursday 15 July 2021<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The workshops aim to facilitate critical thinking about the role of language, stories,\u00a0<\/span><\/b>beliefs<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and representations about the Earth in our valuing of the Earth<\/span><\/b>:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Workshop 1 |\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Learn about the Anthropocene through sensory mapping (<\/span><\/b>1.5<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>hour<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen coined the term\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>Anthropocene<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0in 2000 as a proposed\u00a0<\/span>particular\u00a0<\/span>period of time<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Earth\u2019s geological history. The term\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>Anthropocene<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0is now used to refer to the role of human action in influencing the environment and the dangerous environmental conditions that confront us today. The workshop will use an art-based methodology<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0\u2018sensory mapping\u2019 to help students reflect on Earth\u2019s history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Workshop 2<\/span><\/b>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>Reflect on Earth stories, experiment with telling a gripping story (<\/span><\/b>1.5<\/span><\/b>\u00a0hour<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>)\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Students can l<\/span>earn about the role of stories and storytelling in contemporary religious practices that address climate change and the ecological crisis.\u00a0<\/span>They will c<\/span>onsider the role of religious stories and practices about the Earth in our present valuing of the Earth<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and also<\/span>\u00a0t<\/span>ake part in a storytelling circle and sharpen\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>presentation skills.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Workshop 3<\/span><\/b>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>Think critically about language and climate change by creating a digital game prototype\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(<\/span><\/b>1.5<\/span><\/b>\u00a0hour<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Students will c<\/span>onsider how climate change is presented by different media sources and discover the power of language by learning about how to do \u2018discourse analysis of values and beliefs\u2019 using a simple tool called \u2018the Appraisal Framework\u2019. This will help\u00a0<\/span>students<\/span>\u00a0question and challenge discourses by re<\/span>imagining<\/span>\u00a0the text and the language choices that are made.\u00a0<\/span>They<\/span>\u00a0will get to experiment with different language choices in a digital game prototype using an interactive text-based digital game platform.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Participation in\u00a0<\/span><\/b>the<\/span><\/b>\u00a0online digital workshop<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>can be<\/span><\/b>\u00a0followed by a visit\u00a0<\/span><\/b>organised independently\u00a0<\/span><\/b>to Luke Jerram\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Gaia<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0at Milton Keynes\u00a0<\/span><\/b>International\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Festival which will be hosted in central Milton Keynes between\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Saturday 10 July to Friday 30 July<\/span><\/b>. This will be subject to Covid-19 regulations at this time.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO BOOK<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n